Meech moves 'forward' on the learning curve, plus notes on Chelios and Cleary

As MLive.com's own Ansar Khan reports, Red Wings defenceman Derek Meech continues to adjust to life as a "swing man," filling in for injured Detroit forwards as a fourth-liner. Wings coach Mike Babcock told the Macomb Daily's Bruce MacLeod that Meech's versatility benefits both player and team:

November 29, RedWingsCorner: "As a young kid, you don't want to just follow the team around practicing," said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. "So the more he can get in the lineup, the better it is for him and long-term the better for us."

Meech has skated on the fourth line, which means that ice time is doled out in small portions. In four of Meech's first five games up front this season, he played less than 10 minutes.

"It's an adjustment," said Meech. "I think it's important for me being on that fourth line to go out there and get that energy going. I need to get myself into the game because you never know when that next shift is going to be. I just have to get in there early. I'm starting to realize that now. Try to fire the boys up early with some energy."

As for the nuts and bolts of the position, covering the opposition point in the Detroit defensive zone has proved to be the toughest adjustment for Meech because it's the most foreign thing for someone trained as a defenseman. Forwards often have their back to point men and playing with your back to the opposition isn't something that defensemen often do.

"That sort of thing, defensemen never do," said Meech. "That's the biggest adjustment, being in the right spot in the defensive zone. Knowing that as a 'D', I'm coming down to hammer that forward. I'm just trying to keep my head up, stop the puck and not let it go to the point."

Meech continued his conversation with the Free Press's Helene St. James:

November 30, Detroit Free Press: "Obviously, defense is my first position of choice, but I'm learning a lot at forward, and I'm feeling more comfortable every day," Meech said.

Babcock said Meech "has been good for us," and Meech said he hears positive feedback from teammates, too. His job, along with linemates like Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, is to keep the puck out of Detroit's zone and create energy.

Having played in half of the Wings' games this season, Meech is eager to stay in the lineup in whatever way.

"I'm off to a way better pace even that last year, getting games in," he said. "I want to contribute any way I can. If they want me to play goal next, I'll do that."

St. James also reports that Chris Chelios hopes to return to the Wings' lineup by the Wings' December 10th game vs. Calgary, and Chelios is admittedly concerned about two topics:

"The only thing I look at is our goals-against," Chelios said. "We'd like to work on that."

Chelios, 46, had wondered about his usefulness. "Yeah, I was worried," he said. "Everybody keeps pushing this age thing in my face every time something happens, and obviously it is tougher as you get older."

MacLeod reports that Babcock wanted to give Dan Cleary some conditioning time, too:

November 30, Macomb Daily: Babcock started Dan Cleary on Pavel Datsyuk's line last night after starting Cleary with Valtteri Filppula, Friday. The coach is slowly trying to ease Cleary back into the big minutes that a top-line forward will skate. Cleary missed eight games with a scratched cornea, returning Friday.

"My big thing with Dan is fatigue's going to be a huge factor as we go along here," said Babcock. "So I didn't penalty kill him and I didn't play him with those guys early on (Friday) night just because of that. I don't want his minutes to get up."

Cleary played 16:09 in the Wings' 4-1 loss to the Bruins on Saturday, registering one shot and two hits.